The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Aster novi-belgii and referred to by the cultivar name Cassandra.
The new Aster is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new strong-growing cut flower Aster cultivars with attractive floret colors. The new Aster originated from a cross made by the Inventor of a proprietary Aster selection identified as code number 121, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Aster selection identified as code number 301, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was selected by the Inventor on the basis of its large inflorescence size and attractive ray floret color. Plants of the parental selections and plants of the new Aster differ in inflorescence size and ray floret color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in De Lier, The Netherlands has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Cassandraxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Cassandraxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Vigorous and strong growth; rapid growth rate.
2. Bright green leaves.
3. Numerous inflorescences per flowering stem.
4. Purple-colored ray florets.
5. Good postproduction longevity.
Compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Blue Wonder, not patented, plants of the new Aster have larger inflorescences, more attractive ray floret color and longer postproduction longevity.
The cultivar Cassandra has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.